Safeburys

I’ll be honest here, the only reason I’ve been to the place (and indeed the only reason I’m reviewing it) is because of the name — which I rather love. The previous reviewer has it spot on — this is not an up market store (desperately racking my brains for a name that combines Aldi and Lidl and actually makes any kind of sense…) but it’s an okay place to buy all your essentials and the inside of the store is clean and well laid out. Just opposite the Ivy Bush pub on the Hagley Road, you’ll need to dodge the terrifying road system to get to it.

I am surprised that this store hasn’t caused accidents by motorists doing a double-​take over the name. They may think they’ve taken a wrong turn into telly-​land, where there’s always new spins on familiar brands. Not since Corrie’s Freshco, or gobby 2001 computer HAL (IBM), has product been so cynically named. Whatever next? Marks and Leicester?
Stitched together like a commercial zombie, Safeburys is clearly not a middle-​range mega store from the ‘burbs, despite the wordplay on two familiar chains… Kwik Op would have been more apt. And yet, relatively spacious, with a smattering of essentials featuring a special offer here and there, it’s a rightly popular haunt for local officers workers looking for Skips and a bottle for a box set marathon. Its not too expensive, a lot cheaper than Dev’s … Oh hang on, ignore that, I’m back on Corontation Street again.

What a great idea. Take two well known supermarkets and merge their names to give you a veneer of quality. Sadly, Safebury’s, a sorry excuse for a grocers on the edge of Ladywood, is a far cry from the standards of either Sainsbury’s or Safeways.
It does the usual small-​scale grocery fare overpriced macaroni cheese in a tin, a vast selection of biscuits, and the obligatory cheap booze. Where it does regain some ground is that is has a cash machine. Which charges you to withdraw money. Which is annoying. However, if you’re in a hurry, it can be useful. Just don’t go there expecting a fresh fish counter.